might inflame all christē realmes w^t the like hatred which he bare against Freder. þ^e Emperour, sendeth also w^t the sayd Stea. speciall letters ful of manifold complaints & greuous accusatiōs against the sayd emperour, wherof more (Christ graūting) shalbe shewed hereafter. Vpō the cōmyng of this Stephen þ^e legate, þ^e king assēbled all hys Earles and Barons, wyth the archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, templaries, hospitalars, persons & vicares, and other such as held of hym in capite, to apeare before hym at Westminster, to heare and to common of þ^e mater. MarginaliaThe pope requyreth the tenthes of all the moueables in England, Wales, and Ireland.In the assembly of whome, the popes patent letters were brought forth and redde, wherein he required the tenthes of all the moueables in Englande, Wales, and Ireland, as well of the cleargy as of the laitie, to mayntayne his expedition against the foresayd Friderike the Emperour. MarginaliaThe content of the popes letters, to the king.The which expedition as he pretended to atchiue and to take in hand for the cause of the vniuersall church, and happely had begonne the matter already: & for somuch, as the riches of the apostolike see did not suffice, for the accomplishyng of so great an enterprise: MarginaliaThe false pretense of the pope vnder the name of the church, wreking hys own cankered malice.he therfore inforced by mere necessitie, did implore the aide and helpe of all the true obedient and naturall chickens of the church of Rome, least the members thereof together wyth the head should be subuerted. These letters of the pope, to this effect, being openly recited and explaned by the popes chaplaine, which he wyth much more allegation and perswasion of wordes did amplifye to his vttermost, the kyng (sayth myne author) in whom all men dyd hope to haue an helpe to their defence, became then as a staffe of reede. MarginaliaThe kinges mouth stopped.For as much as he had obliged himselfe to the same before, for the election of his archbishop now coulde say nothyng against it, but helde his peace. MarginaliaThe Earles and Barons refused payment to the pope.The earles, Barons, and all the laity vtterly refused so to bynd their Baronies to the church of Rome: but the bishops, abbots, priors, wyth other prelates of þ^e church, first requiring space and respite to deliberate for iij. or iiij. dayes: MarginaliaThe prelates in feare of the popes curse.at lēgth for feare of the popes curse (although they durste not vtterlye withstand) had brought to passe to haue concluded for a summe of money muche lesse, had not Stephen Segraue, one of the kinges counsailers, craftelye conuented with the legate: and by subtile meanes brought it so to passe, þ^t the whole tenthes was gathered and paid, to the inestimable damage (saith Paris.) both of the ecclesiastical and temporal state. The meanes wherof (sayth the author) was this. The legate shewing to the prelates his procuratory letters to collect and gather vp all the foresayd tenthes in the name and autoritie of the pope, declared moreouer full autoritie to hym graunted by the vertue of hys commission, MarginaliaExcōmunications abused.to excōmunicate all such, and to interdicte their churches, who so euer did gainstand or goe contrary to þ^e said collectiō. Wherupō, by þ^e said vertue legantyne he sendeth to euery shiere his proctors to gather the popes mony, or els to excōmunicate thē, which denyed to pay: & for so muche as the present neede of the pope required present helpe wythout delaye, MarginaliaThe popes extortion.he sendeth moreouer to the bishops and prelates of the realme, in paine of interdiction forthwyth to procure and sende to hym eyther of their owne, or by lone, or vsance, or by what meanes so euer, so much mony in all post spede, for the present vse of the pope. And after to take vp agayne the sayd mony of the tenthes of euerye singular person, by the righte taxyng of their goods. Vpon this, the prelates to auoyde þ^e daunger (hauyng no other remedye) were driuen to sell theyr chalyces, cruettes, copes, iewels and other church plate: and some to lay to morgage suche thinges as they had, some also to borrow vppon vsance, to make the money which was required. MarginaliaVserers brought into England by the pope to serue him with money.Moreouer, the sayd Stephen the popes chaplain (as reporteth Paris.) brought with him into England for the same purpose, such bankers and vsurers, who sendyng out their mony vpon great vsury, did vnreasonably pinch the english people, which merchantevsurers were then called Caursini. MarginaliaCorne vpon the ground tythed to the pope.Briefly such straight exaction was then vpon the poore englishe men, that not onely their present goodes were valued and taxed, but also the corne yet growyng in the field, against the nexte haruest was tithed, &c. MarginaliaRanulphus Erle of Chester denieth to pay the popes tenthes.Onely the Earle of Chester named Ranulphus stood stoutly against the pope, suffring none within his dominion eyther lay man or clearke to yeld any tenthes to the popes proctors. Ex Mat. Parisiens. pag. 74. Marginalia1229.
The church of Couētrie finished.And this was the ende of the strife betwene the monkes of Cant. and the kyng for the election of their archbishop which was about the yeare of our lord. 1229 In the which yere was finished the new church of Couētry, by Alexander bishop of the sayd citie, and partly by the helpe of the kyng: which church, Richard his predecessor bishop before him of Couentry had begunne.

The French men about this tyme agayne prepared them selues toward Prouence, to warre agaynst the foresayd Reimundus Earle of Tholouse, and to expulse him out of his possessions. And hearyng that he was in his castel of Saracene, they made thether al their power thinkyng there to inclose and compasse hym about: MarginaliaThe popes frēch army thinking to destroy Reimunde is destroyed by the waybut the Earle beyng pryuy of their conspired purpose, set for them, by the waye, appointyng certayne bushmentes in woods not so secretly, as strongly, ther to wait & receaue the comming of the French men, and to geue them their welcome. Thus when the Frēch were entered the wood, the Earle with his trayne of well armed and able warriers, sodenly did flye vpon them vnwares, and gaue thē a bitter meetyng, so that in that conflict 500. of þ^e French souldiers were taken, and many slayne. Of their seruitures to þ^e number of 2000. men with their armour wer taken. Of whom some lost their eyes, some their noses, some their eares, some their legges and so sēt home. The rest were caried away prisoners into the castell. MarginaliaThe french mē thrise in one sōmer ouercome by Reimūd Earle of TholouseAnd to be brief, sayth the history, thrise the same sommer, were the French mē discomfited, put to flight, taken, and imprisoned by the foresayd Reimūdus the godly Earle. Ex Parisiens. pag. 69 Wherin is to be sene, and to be praysed, the gracious protection of the Lord our God against the furious papistes: whiche is glorious alwayes in hys sainctes.

¶ The same yeare, the kyng beyng at Portesmouth had assembled together all his nobilitie, Earles Barōs, and knights of England with such an army of horsemē and footemen, as hath not ben lightly sene, MarginaliaThe inconstant loue of princes toward theē that be chief aboue them.thinkyng to recouer agayne the countrey of Normandy, of Gaunt, and other possessions, whiche kyng Ihon his father before had loste. But when the captaines and marshals of the fielde should take shyppyng, there were not halfe shyps ynow to receaue the host. Wherupon the kyng was vehemētly inflamed with anger, laying all the fault to Hubert the L. chief Iustice (who vnder the kyng had all the gouernement of the realme,) calling him old traitour, charging him that he should be the let of this viage as he was before, when he tooke of the Frenche quene. 5000. markes, to stay the kynges iorney into Normandy. In so much the rage of the kyng was kyndled agaynst him, that drawing hys sword he made at hym, to rūne him through, had not the earle of Chester Ranulph stopt the kyng. Hubert withdrewe him selfe away, till þ^e kynges rage was past. This was about the time of Michaelmas, at whiche tyme ariued Henry Earle of Normandye in the hauen of Portesmouth in the moneth of Octob. Who should haue cōducted þ^e kyng vpon his allegeaunce and othe into Normandy. But he with other of the Kynges army counsailed the Kyng not to take that viage toward winter, but rather to differ it to þ^e Easter next folowyng: wherewith the Kyng was stayd and wel contented, and pacified agayne with Hubert the iustice &c. Ex Mat. Paris.

Fabiane recordeth thys yeare the liberties and franchise of the citie of London to be confirmed by the kyng,